Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-07

an overwhelming majority of the mem.
bers of the Legislature urging immedi.
ate action, issued q proclamation on
July l6, 1886, calling the Legislature to.
gether in extra session for the purpose
of taking such action ON irrigation as
these Legislators had themselves recon.
mended in the memorial. Though tie
session was barren of the results antic..
pated, because many of the gentlemen
alluded to failed to fulfill their own writ.
ten pledges, still much good was done
by the new light shed upon the subject
through the press and discussions in the
Legislature and elsewhere. That the
irrigation question is one Of paramount
Importance is evidenced from the fact
that both the great political parties in
the last State conventions in their plat
forms urged the necessity of appropriate
legislation upon it. My views on irri.
cation were fully set forth in the proc.
lamation and subsequent message at the
time of calling the last extra session, to
which you are respectfully referred. The
opinions then entertained still remain
unchanged, and now believe, as then,
that this vast and all.important ques.
ton of water and water rights
cannot be satisfactorily solved at q reg.
ular session of the Legislature, limited
as it is by the constitution to sixty days,
during which 80 many other matters de.
manding legislative action engross the
time and attention of the members |
How you are to deal with this irrigation |
problem, upon which the parties to |
which you are affiliated have demanded |
action, is one upon which I am not in. |
clined to make recommendation, ex.
cept to suggest THAT the Committees
on Irrigation, in both houses, in case
they fail to accomplish the desired re.
suits, should be authorized to continue
their labors after the termination of the
present session.
PRODUCTIVE CALIFORNIA.
1t is with feeling of satisfaction thsa
I refer to Cslifornia's chief industry, as
under this heading can legitimately
come all of the productions of the land.
The productive qualities Of this great
State are at this time commanding the |
attention of the world, not alone in the
yield of cereals, but in the cultivation of
more varied products. The increased
interest and successful results iu the |
vine and fruit growing districts have
added greatly to the productive fame of
California. A State that can show
production annually of from twenty to
forty million bushels of wheat, fifteen to
eighteen million gallons of wine, thous.
ands of tons of fruit, eight to ten mill.
ion pounds of wool and half million
boxes of raisins, and whose citrus fruits
are the admiration of all, must be pros.
porous. The demand for her produc.
tions will increase in manifold degree.
The United States is a country of
immense area, with population
of 60,000,000 of people and
rapidly increasing. California is but q
small portion of these United States, but
is the one that can produce the greatest
variety of the prime articles OF necessity
and luxury. Not only must her hilly
slopes and rich valleys furnish all the
wine these people are to use but also the
raisins, figs, olives, etc. The unrelia.
bility Of fruit raising in many of our
States and the noticeable regularity with
which this State brings forth her fruit
(both deciduous and citrus) has demon.
strated that California is the foremost
fruit producing State in the Union. To
properly bring the attention of the con-
sinner to our productions, both agricul.
tural and horticultural, we must foster
such industries. The various public
institutions for this purpose now aided
by the State, I find to be man.
aged in manner that not
only reflects credit upon the boards
of management, but upon the people of
the State. In administering to the
wants Of the people it has been my aim
and desire to make appointments from
the class of citizens whose interests are
in common with the institutions they
are selected 10 manage, thereby affecting
relative feeling that, in a majority of
cases, has given me assurance that the
method adopted was the correct one.
The most prominent institution among
these referred to is the State Agricul-
tural Society, which has accomplished
much toward increasing the resources of
the State. The increased advantages
now offered to exhibitors, the
Inauguration of system of en-
couraging the varied productions of each
county, the largely increased displays in
the live stock department and the gen.
eral interest manifested in the annual
exhibitions OF this society are evidences
that the management has been most COM
plete.
The late citrus fair held in Sacramento |
was from every standpoint great sue.
cess. 1t proved to all interested that
the soil and climate of Middle and |
Northern California are we'll adapted to |
the cultivation Of citrus fruits. The |
problem of how to get rid of fruit pests
is attracting the attention it deserves
from the State Board of Horticulture.
In this regard the inspectors of fruit
pests say that it is of paramount i'm.
portance to the fruit growing interest
that the work begun by the State should
continue to be literally supported.
NICARAGUA CANAL.